How Alison Gatehouse Changed My Life
This piece is currently 'unpublished' in a book however should be at some point in the next 18 months in the book 'You Goes For A Song'
It was written after being asked the question, which band, song, concert etc had the biggest impact on you... for me, it wasn't any of those things...
Like many people music is a fundamental part of my life, it’s integral to who I am, how I live day by day, how I connect with other people and rather sadly how I occasionally form opinions of people (especially when meeting for the first time)
I believe you can tell a lot about someone from their musical taste, as much as you can from their appearance, their education, their career choice etc.
I believe you have ‘relationships’ with certain bands and artists which can trigger how they fit in with people, times and places throughout your life (whether these be ‘actual’ relationships, ‘virtual’ or something in-between)
This was going to be a linear piece, however I decided instead to start with an ending, which is kind of what me thinking about the piece as a whole
Part 1
For some football fans Saturday 15th June 1996 is held in the memory as England beat Scotland 2-1 at Wembley with Paul Gascoigne scoring a goal that's often repeated in compilations ahead of international games
For most Mancunians the date is embedded in the memory as the day that the 'IRA Manchester Bomb' went off in the City Centre, just outside Marks and Spencer’s, miraculously causing no causalities.
For me, it was the day that Northside travelled to London to play at 'The Water Rats' on Grays Inn Road, London, the scene of many celebrated gig over the years
After declaring I was going to work with bands and in the Music Industry (we’ll come to that later), I'd initially not done anything about it, continuing with my 9-5 job for a few years. That brief conversation years earlier kept nagging at me though and upon seeing an advert in the NME for a 'Music Industry Management' course in at Newark, Notts in 1993 decided it was time to do something about it.
7 years after leaving school and having steady jobs I saved up and in 1994, I left Birkart International Forwarding and headed over the Pennines. Moving away from home for the first time I went to live in a shared house with strangers funded by a grant from my local education authority
I won't bore you with the details of that year however I can say that it was an interesting one, I met a lot of likeminded individuals with similarly eclectic tastes in music, went to a load of gigs and indulged in everything that was to offer. Money was tight (the grant just about covering the rent) but there was a camaraderie amongst those of us on the course, all looking out for one another
As the course neared its end, I had to look for work experience and complete a 'closing project'. Moving to London where the Music Industry was predominantly based to do 'work experience' as a 20 something mailroom operative really didn't appeal so I looked closer to my Manchester home... a few options sprung to mind, promotors, venues, artist managers... but in reality there was only one place I wanted to be
In 1995 Newark and Sherwood College had one dial up internet connection with an 8mb modem attached to it, so officially Britain was still in the dark ages. In order to communicate the 'landline' and letters were still the preferred method (mobile phones still a business or luxury purchase). In order to make a 'phone call' from college you needed written permission from your 'Head of Course' after giving them a 'business justification'.
Nervously I handed over the required permission slip to the college receptionist, 'one call to Manchester?' she asked... I nodded...
I took the phone and pulled out the envelope I'd scribbled down the number on... 061 834 4440 and dialled hoping someone would answer. I needn't had worried. As phone calls go this was probably the most important and memorable of my almost 50 years (although one from the late comedian Bernard Manning whilst I worked at 192 comes a close second)
'Factory'... the voice answering was upbeat
'Er, hi, I'm Iain, I'm from Manchester and doing a course and...'
'Hi it's Tony, how can I help'
I nearly dropped the phone... at the other end of the phone was legendary TV presenter and broadcaster, co-founder of Factory Records, part owner of the Hacienda, professional Mancunian and (to some) gobshite, Anthony H Wilson. I had hoped the call may lead to be getting the opportunity to do something for his label via one of his staff, I never dreamt that the man himself would answer the phone
I could write a whole piece on the man and his importance to culture, popular music and Manchester, but anything I wrote would only be rewriting what's already out there in films such as '24 Hour Party People' and the Joy Division biopic 'Control'.
What I can say, and reinforce is how much Tony encouraged people, made you believe you could achieve things, and where possible facilitated and supported
That phone call led to me spending a few weeks working at the Factory, carrying out a number of interviews with Tony for a piece in The Big Issue Magazine. He'd been approached by them and decided that I should do it rather than one of their own people. I'm not sure that future Political Advisor to Tony Blair, Ruth Turner (then Editor of the aforementioned magazine) wasn’t too happy with this but went along with it at Tony's insistence
The initial interview I did was covered the history of Factory, I proudly presented this to Tony who dismissed it as 'shite'... explaining that there was nothing in it which hadn't been written before. He lent me a couple of books on interviews that had featured in Rolling Stone and told me to try again... which I did on Monday 22nd May 1995, 2 days after 'our' beloved Manchester United had been beaten by Everton in the FA Cup Final.
Sorry, I've got side-tracked, I apologise, I may do this occasionally…
Whilst working at Factory I got to know a few people and ended up falling in with 'Northside'. The band had had some success in 1990/91, releasing 3 singles and a Top 20 album. They'd travelled the world but had the rug pulled from beneath their feet in 1992 when the initial 'incarnation' of Factory Records had gone into receivership.
By 1995 they'd undergone a couple of line-up changes and were ready for making a 'comeback'. New songs had been written, they just needed to do some gigs, record some demos, and sign a publishing/record deal... simple. Apart from they didn't have a Manager or anyone willing to take them on.
With blissful ignorance I stepped into that role... what could possibly go wrong?
From the summer of 1995, for 18 months my life became a whirlwind ultimately climaxing, ironically, at our spiritual home The Hacienda on 18th December 1996.
The tale of those 18 months, the tours, the amazing nights out across the country, the time spent in recording studios producing demos, time spent sat in the dark listing to backing vocals being recorded at 4 o'clock in the morning is probably best for another time.
Anyway, Saturday 15th June 1996, 'the' London gig, the night that we expected to have A&R from the Record Companies in attendance, the night of what we'd hoped would be a breakthrough...
Well it didn't go as planned. The drummer, Dean had flu and sat wrapped in a quilt shivering and sweating in equal measure on the journey down whilst bass player, Cliff, consumed more alcohol than normal, egged on by 'roadcrew' to the frustration of singer Dermo and guitarist, Paul. Following the news reports of the Manchester Bomb the venue had told anyone calling to see if the gig was still on, that it wasn't... and the A&R guys who had promised to come had been out celebrating the England win
In the days that followed there was a realisation between the band and myself that changes were needed, and in hindsight, 20 plus years later, that was the point when the 'relationship' changed, like when you have a girlfriend or boyfriend and you try to 'make things work' despite knowing you're on a slippery slope. That said there was no falling out, 'sold out' gigs continued throughout the Summer and Autumn of 1996 with a final gig, a divorce set for December as the band decided to call it a day and work on other projects
Regrets, not really, I / we busked it (excuse the pun) and whilst the world wasn't set alight, but we had a good stab at it …
Part 2
But how did I get to that point?
My first musical influences were passed down by older siblings (my parents had a few singles and a ‘Jim Reeves’ boxset but rarely played these). Through them I heard the Beatles, the Carpenters, Bay City Rollers, Queen etc… standard fare for the early to mid 70’s. My parents, seeing that this was something I was ‘into’ (and probably to stop my ‘borrowing and scratching my siblings’ records) I was occasionally allowed to choose a single to buy… this would be something ‘approved’ by committee, which generally meant Showaddywaddy or something similar
At some point (1979?) I was bought my own small portable record player with built in speakers (although not a cool one like a Dansette)… it probably came from the Kays Catalogue, probably for 80p a week spread over 36 weeks which meant I could play my precious 7” singles at the same time as recreating Star Wars with my Palitoy figures or guiding Manchester United to a Cup Final playing Subbuteo (normally against myself)
The Summer of 1981 arguably was the first real step on the journey which I’ve been on ever since
I vividly remember the soundtrack to that summer was made up of 3 albums, (even though they’d been released in 1978 and 1979) which belonged to my sister.
The Jam - All Mod Cons (LP)
The Jam - Setting Sons (LP)
The Clash - London Calling (Cassette)
The difference between these and what I’d been listening too up to this point was, or rather what I realised was, these songs had stories and meaning, they weren’t just disposable love songs, they weren’t Shakin’ Steven’s taking about his (or technically Rosemary Clooney’s) ‘Ole House’, they weren’t Bucks Fizz singing about needing to make a decision, these were about relationships, growing up, life, and politics, not that I completely comprehended this at the time.
I poured over the sleeves of these albums for hours, taking in every detail and singing along to with a put-on fake cockney accent
Going back to school that September I found that I could hold my own in conversations on the school bus, especially with the lads in the year above, finding that the knowing the names Weller, Foxton, Buckler, Strummer, Jones, Simonon and Headon gave a credibility which hadn’t been there before. We’d sit in groups discussing the ‘cool’ bands, Dexys, Madness, The Specials, The Beat etc. we’d swap singles, save up pocket money to buy albums or blank cassettes to record the Top 40…
Music now influenced what type of trousers I wanted to wear for school (although in reality I was limited to my Mum’s budget and what was sold in the aforementioned Kays Catalogue), what I’d wear on my feet (refer to previous comment re the catalogue), how I’d wear my school tie and what badges I’d buy from Redditch Market…
Music now influenced who I’d invite over to the house at weekends (my Showaddywaddy singles hidden away) and what got put up my bedroom wall. Alongside Ray ‘Butch’ Wilkins and that years Man United ‘Official’ Team Poster were the Jam etc..
Over the next couple of years I continued to soak up what was new, Top Of The Pops being essential viewing on my parents black and white portable (them watching ‘Crossroads’ or ‘Emmerdale Farm’ on the Colour TV)… my ‘job’ on a Sunday was to wash the pots after tea, I’d do this quickly as I could, aiming to have it done by 6pm so I could get to the radio in order to catch the second half of that week’s Radio 1 Chart rundown in order to record anything that took my fancy
As 1982 turned to 1983 ’The Tube’ become essential viewing also on a Friday evening, featuring bands which weren’t always on Top Of The Pops… Orange Juice, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Jo Boxers, Wah! and The Style Council. Although I didn’t realise at the time my taste was slightly out of step with was the ‘mainstream’, preferring releases by the likes of The Cure or the Belle Stars to Kajagoogoo or Wham!
In hindsight I now realise that some of the songs penned by the likes of Messer’s Michael and Ridgely, or by Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet and co do have a great deal of merit but at the time they weren’t cool)
I read somewhere that music in the ‘Official Charts’ when you turn 14 is when your musical tastes peak and would influence what you listened to in your later years. Until writing this I’d never given that a second thought but looking at the Top 40 for late November 1983 this is scarily true!
That week covering my birthday (Week Ending 19th November 1983) acts included
Madness; The Cure; The Style Council; UB40; Joy Division; New Order; Aztec Camera; The Smiths… and Tracey Ullman
As you will find out, some of these, and their labels, would have had a major influence in my life, more so than the 14-year-old me could ever have imagined… but first,
“Tracey Ullman” I hear you cry… hardly cool?
Maybe not, but the majority of her output was written by the wonderfully talented Kirstie MacColl, who was cruelly taken from us at a young age, being killed whilst on holiday in Cuba in 2000.
‘They Don’t Know’ is probably my favourite song of all time, it’s almost a perfect song, the video made to accompany it wonderful, featuring a cameo from Paul McCartney. It should have been a hit in 1979 for Kirstie when it was originally released however failed to chart to an alleged distributor strike which meant although it was one of the top played songs on the radio for several weeks, no shops had it on sale…
My ‘first’ girlfriend, Mandy Torkington also had a look of Tracey Ullman (which is probably what attracted the 16-year-old me to her).
Mandy was killed in a car crash in 2006 and although we’d long since split up (some 18 years earlier!) and long since lost touch, hearing the song immediately transports me back to more innocent times…
I suppose I should continue with my point re people having ‘relationships’ with certain bands and exactly how it was that Alison Gatehouse changed my life…
Part 3
I’ve not seen or spoken to Alison Gatehouse since sometime in 1984/5
To be honest, embarrassingly, I can’t remember much about her, other than she was quite tall (for a girl her age at the time) and she had longish brown curly hair.
Between 1979 and 1985 I lived in a small village called Tardebigge, specifically the Hewell Grange ‘estate’. This being the home, at the time. of Hewell Grange Young Offenders Institute and Brockhill Remand Centre, my Dad holding a Senior Position at the former.
The Hewell Grange ‘estate’ was also home to many of the officers and staff, with around 70 houses being occupied. I was one of a number of kids, many of whom of a similar age, which meant there was always someone (or more often a gang of us) around to do
things with. Living a few miles outside of the nearest towns of Redditch and Bromsgrove the local authority provided a special ‘bus’ service to take us to school and bring us home
Alison also lived on Hewell Grange, I don’t remember her being one of the kids that used to hang around in the evenings or at weekends, so I imagine any contact we had would have been on the journey to school (for someone who has had such an impact
on my life you’d think I’d know more, but unfortunately, I don’t… sorry)
What I do remember though, is that one weekend in 1984 she lent me an album and ‘introduced’ me to someone who today I rank as one of the 3 biggest, most positive male influences on my life, ranking alongside my Dad and Anthony H. Wilson (as previously mentioned)
This individual I’ve seen perform countless times over the last 35 years (even taking my son who was 11 at the time on the most recent occasion). As far as I know I own everything he’s ever released as well as hundreds of bootlegs, performances being a mix of music, politics and comedy.
His songs have informed and influenced my morals, my politics and how I see things, and treat people, from his earliest songs as an ‘angry young man’ raising funds for striking miners, to an ‘angry older gentleman’ explaining to his wife why he’s no good at DIY,
but can write poetry
Over the years his songs have been thought provoking, celebratory, comical… he’s collaborated with a range of other bands and artists, on occasion just for one concert, others for a series of albums (Wilco). He’s been an ambassador and supporter of many new and ‘up and coming’ artists over the years, such as REM and Frank Turner and raised awareness and money for many good causes yet is loved and reviled in equal measure
At some point in 1984, Alison Gatehouse leant me ‘Life’s A Riot With Spy vs Spy’ by Billy Bragg
I fully expect people to switch off at this point or stop reading.
As it is written on one of the two Billy Bragg Tea Towels I have ‘Love Him Or Hate Him’ (styled on Marmite jar)… the other Tea Towel if you’re interested says ‘Brewing Up With….’ and features the cover of his 1985 album, which is quite clever when you think about it
I have owned ‘Lifes A Riot With Spy vs Spy’ by Billy Bragg in multiple formats over the years, at least twice on vinyl, and four times on CD. In case of the vinyl, certainly one of these was played to death, much to the annoyance of anyone in the house who had to suffer me singing along to the 7 tracks included for hours on end, only stopping to flip the record over
With the CD’s there have been remastered versions, a box set (with an extended version) and more recently a 30th Anniversary edition with the ‘whole’ album’ played as an encore at the Union Chapel in London
From the moment I first heard this album, opening with ‘The Milkman of Human Kindness’, absorbed all the lyrics (including the timeless ‘A New England’), sought out interviews etc the music contained in this, and then future releases there was something ‘more’ happening.
This hit home early in 1985 upon the release of the ‘Between The Wars’ EP, with songs influenced by and proceeds given to the Miners’ Strike, something I’d known nothing about until this point. Seeing him performing the title track live on Top Of The Pops, introduced by Steve Wright, alone on stage with just his guitar and amp was incredible. This wasn’t like anything else on the programme, no dancers, no early 80’s special effects, just a man and his guitar singing about the fight of the working man not long after the Conservative Party had been returned to power after ‘winning’ the Falklands War
Billy Bragg songs often make you think, whether he’s turning the spotlight on the political situation in the UK or abroad, questioning how things are presented in the media or promoting equality; I’ve been switched on to more things through his music than any school, college or television. I don’t always agree 100% but as a result of looking into what Billy’s singing about I believe I’ve become better and more rounded
Songs such as ‘Must I Paint You A Picture’ and ‘The Saturday Boy’ appeared on mixtapes I produced for would be girlfriends in my younger days, often failing to impress (I put this down to myself though and not the quality of the music and lyrics)
As I’ve grown older, I’ve still looked forward to new releases, and I’m glad to say that songs remain as topical and thought provoking as they did to my 14/15-year-old ears back in the 1980’s.
With tracks like ‘Never Buy The Sun’ clearly highlighting the corrupt ways of certain areas of the press and ‘Full English Brexit’ written from the perspective of a ‘Little Englander’ he searches for the reasons behind the Brexiteer psyche and shows that even though he’s now eligible for his bus pass Billy Bragg still has his finger on the pulse
As my eyes and ears were being opened by the words and music of Billy Bragg, my ‘reading material’ of choice changed, no longer would I buy Smash Hits, I found the type of bands I was forming a liking for appeared in the NME (or New Musical Express for the purists) and in-turn switched me on to the late evening essential listening of Janice Long, Annie Nightingale and John Peel
In 1985, we moved from the West Midlands back to Manchester, and although I didn’t know it at the time, things would never be the same again
Part 4
1988, stood on Piccadilly Station waiting for the train to Birmingham...
Since leaving the Midlands in 1985 I'd kept in touch with a couple of like-minded people, sharing letters and tapes of recommendations of what to listen to next. On this occasion I had a cassette which my friend Danny, who I was going to visit, had sent me containing two albums, 'The House of Love' by 'The House Of Love' and 'George Best' by The Wedding Present
I'd been aware of the latter from the NME 'C86' release a couple of years earlier and had bought a one of their singles. I eagerly watched 'The Chart Show' on a Saturday morning to see if they'd play a 30 second clip of the band who were, alongside The Primitives (with the miniscule blond bombshell Tracey Tracey fronting them) quickly becoming my favourite band.
After listening to the 'Wedding Present' side of the cassette I'd turn it over, skip through my favourite tracks by 'The House of Love' and start again with the wonderful 'Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft' wearing down the battery life of my portable tape player at the same time (and yes I did have those cheap headphones with orange sponge bits to 'cover' the ears)
'George Best' was their debut album which had been released late the previous year full of songs about being in love, songs about wanting to be in love, songs about yearning for a lost love, songs about breaking up...
all perfect for someone in their late teens to relate to since the demise of 'The Smiths'.
Although I didn't know it stood on Piccadilly Station that day, The Wedding Present, and more importantly their front man and lyricist David Lewis Gedge, would, like Billy Bragg, soundtrack a big chunk of my life from that point on, becoming like an older sibling (rather than a mentor) with whom I have shared ups and downs in over the last 30 odd years
After the well-respected debut the band signed to a 'major label' and hit their 'commercial peak' with numerous appearances on Top Of The Pops and daytime TV. As with many artists the line-up changed and sound developed rather than just remaking the same album with the same formula over and over which led to an 'offshoot' being formed in the mid 1990's, Cinerama. This project was heavily influenced by the soundtracks of Morricone and the like, with a slightly less 'guitar centric sound' before morphing back into The Wedding Present in the 00's...
Unsurprisingly, not every one of the 30 plus albums released over the years has been 'a favourite' and some have received a lot fewer repeat plays than others. despite this though, Danny and I have remained big 'Weddoes' fans and have seen them many times, upwards of 40 times across the country, and regardless of size of venue certain things have always been the same, Dave would be there on the Merchandising Stall before the gig, the music would be fast and frantic, the mosh pit (in our younger days) would be exhausting, exhilarating and extremely sweaty in equal measures... and they never do encores.
In more recent years, more by accident than design, through the likes of Facebook and Twitter both fans and bands are closer than would have been imaginable back in the 80's...
On Facebook fans regularly chat, share tales of trips to see the band and recommendations of who else to listen to (every Mancunian fan seems to remember the guy who climbed up the PA, to everyone’s amusement and hung on to it throughout the Nurses Benefit gig at the Ritz in 1990)
On Twitter, David and other band members regularly engage directly with their 'fan community' across the world (despite no longer being a household name as well as sold out tours of Britain and Europe the band have played Thailand, Japan and Australia over the last couple of years)
At these gigs, the 'once 18 years olds' who sang along to anthems such as 'My Favourite Dress' still do so, but now are accompanied by their wives and children... who also sing along
My love of the Wedding Present led me to seeing countless live bands and clubbing, and it was after one such night out, while visiting Danny, as late teens, putting the world to rights we had a conversation about 'what we'd most like to do with our lives'. My answer was simple, all be it not fully thought through. and possibly flippant...
'I want to work in the Music Industry and with bands'
That conversation and comment, sat in the living room of 4 Tug Cottages, Tardebigge, Worcestershire, set me on the path that changed everything, one that may not have been financially successful, but was very very interesting and filled with experiences and opportunities others would only ever be able to dream of…
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